In almost any video game, you’ll find a host of NPC characters to meet, befriend, fight, or experience the stories of. After crashing onto and settling in on Luma Island, you’ll quickly meet a variety of locals who call it home, from the mayor to the professionals who run the different shops.
Each day you can go talk to them, and you might even get some important quests for them, especially if they’re a mentor or run in a shop. Everyone’s interesting to an extent, but some of the people you’ll meet stand out among the rest for their personality, story, or both.
8
Hugo
When you first meet Mayor Hugo, he’s honestly kind of terrible. He isn’t mean or a bad person at heart, but he’s pretty openly negligent as far as being a mayor, and he’s more concerned with bringing tourists in than taking care of the town, even after the earthquake.
You can choose to help him fix up the town and essentially handle all of it yourself for some rewards, and you’ll find he actually ends up having some character development. He eventually concedes that he’s been afraid of and avoiding criticism – and potentially Herbert himself too – then actually admits to his several mistakes. Hugo shouldn’t have made them in the first place, but it’s nice to see him grow and try to change in the end.
7
Old Man Jeffrey
While you don’t need one in a story, it is a pretty classic trope to have a wise, old, and often cryptically-inclined person who tells you mysterious tales or helps guide you along. You’ll meet Old Man Jeffrey early in the game when you first go towards the bridge leading to the Forest, and he’ll tell you some cryptic things about the island, the Chosen One, and the ancient civilizations.
Each time you reach a new area and find the main temple, you’ll find Old Man Jeffrey waiting for you with more cryptic words and hints about what’s really going on behind the scenes. And when you’re done talking, he just disappears in a puff of smoke. Is he a witch like Arianne? A surviving druid of the past? A ghost? Whatever the case, he’s a funny guy, and he really will help guide you on your path, whether you’re a chosen one or not.
6
Enzo
Enzo is the owner of the town’s taverna and the mentor for the Cook Profession, and he’s a man of many jokes, puns, tidbits, and tales about his life and the people he knows. He enjoys cooking and running his business, but he’s looking for a bit of help with coming up with new additions to the menu, and someone to pass his skills onto, namely you.
Each time you learn a recipe from him, Enzo will have something funny to say about it, whether it’s comparing the juiciness of a Fruit Salad to juicy gossip from his grandmother, or just expressing his appreciation of the dish with a joke. Besides his humor, you also get the sense that Enzo is truly passionate about food and makes sure the townspeople have a variety of delicious items to order from him.
5
Mr. Truffle
Mr. Truffle, also known as Mushroom Man, is a mysterious figure. He’s from a race of mushroom people who’ve inhabited Luma Island for what’s likely been centuries, but he’s the only one you meet so far. You’ll find him in each biome, including your Farm, and he runs a specialty store that uses equally special currency.
Mr. Truffles bears a resemblance to the Mushroom Luma that you can hatch from its respective Luma Egg, so it’s possible the mushroom people evolved from that Luma, or they have a similar origin.
Each time you speak with him, you get a sense of who he is: not exactly fond of humans, but he’ll still accept your business, cantankerous, grumpy, but also dedicated, humorous, and he might just be able to predict when it rains using his gills. He might not be as important as other characters, but he’s still worth it to visit often.
4
Herbert
Herbert’s likely the first NPC you’ll meet on Luma Island, or one of the first, as you’ll need to speak with him for your first quest: obtaining a Profession License. He runs the Town Hall, and he’s somehow there 24 hours a day, possibly due to the less-than-good mayor of the town not doing his job.
Herbert’s sarcastic, sometimes mean, and almost certainly deadpan dialogue reflects his seemingly done-with-everyone attitude, and somehow this makes him charming. It’s easy to empathize with his plight of being overworked and under-appreciated, so he ends up being a pretty relatable character, even if he insults your ability to perform a profession every so often. And hey, his snide remarks can be pretty funny too.
3
Pearl
Pearl is another mentor, and she’ll take care of mentoring you for the Fisherman Profession. She’ll tell you some fishing basics, but her main job will be showing you how to make a variety of delicious-sounding fish-based dishes, like Grilled Ironjaw Pike and Scallop Stew. As you get to know Pearl, you’ll find she’s kind and passionate, and she’ll end up telling you about her grandma, someone who was pretty important in her life and taught her all the recipes she shares with you.
The entire journey you go on with her is all about her love for her grandma and her cooking, and trying to recreate the taste and joy those recipes brought her over the years. All of it culminates in the creation of the ultimate fish-based feast, and Pearl reconnecting with her grandma, something truly endearing and relatable, especially if you’ve got a grandma who cooked for you too.
2
Captain Quincy
Another of the Profession-related mentors, Captain Quincy, is one of the resident sailors, and he makes a living ferrying people to and from Luma Island primarily, but he does have a hobby: treasure hunting. He’ll teach you how to be a Treasure Hunter like him, and how to make a variety of replica pirate gear, like sails.
Quincy’s boisterous and knowledgeable about both his craft and his passion, and if you listen closely, you’ll find out about a bit of the island’s history – and some of his own, too. He hints at both a past and a current life filled with actual piracy, which might be why he’s so interested in replica items, either wanting to relive his more exciting days or get replacements without suspicion. Captain Quincy never really lets on to the truth, but whether you believe him or not, he’s a pretty interesting guy.
1
Arianne
As the mentor for the dangerous but rewarding Archaeologist Profession, Arianne is one of the most knowledgeable people you’ll meet on Luma Island. She’s studied the past and mythology surrounding the island for years, so if you want to know about the ancient civilizations, she’s your best bet outside the Talking Stones scattered around.
While this witty and sarcastic woman will only give up most of her knowledge if you become an Archaeologist, you can still get some pretty interesting tidbits from her if you periodically check in as you explore and unlock the temples. Arianna’s also a talented witch, as she’s turned at least one annoying neighbor into a rabbit as punishment for not minding their business, which is pretty understandable if they were being a pain. And if Arianne wasn’t cool enough, she has her own theme too.
Next
Starting a farm is never easy, and Luma Island has its own mechanics to make the process a bit more difficult. Find out some useful tips here!